Define "ocassional treat" please.

rouhnaz

Hi!

What's everyone's take on a occasional indulgence? Do you say 1x per week? 2x per month? And what makes this an indulgence?

Is sugar something you have daily so long as you're within caloric allowances?

I can manage quite a bit of sugar every day from various fruits and treats, but also fit in my veggies and proteins and Whole Foods. Still, a fair bit of sugar is in there and I just wondered what you all do for your approach.

This is really just to see how different folks approach meeting calorie needs and how they treat the concept of treats.

Thanks in advance for sharing.

ninerbuff

I eat cookies, candy (usually Skittles), chocolate, ice cream, etc. somewhere in the day EVERYDAY. But I LIMIT what I eat. That way I don't use up too many calories on treats.

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Alatariel75

I usually spend around 150 calories a day on something that I eat purely for pleasure and without any real nutritional expectations.

Machka9

I eat whatever I want every single day ... as long as it fits within my calorie allowance.

Happily, exercise gives me quite a bit of flexibility in my calorie allowance ... especially on weekends, when I exercise a lot.

I also do not have a fear of sugar so I absolutely eat sugar every day.


But as for "occasional treat" ...

That would be something like the chocolate lava cake I made for my birthday. So incredibly rich and delicious. Probably the richest thing I've ever had in my life. Possibly the most delicious as well. I mean, WOW, it was good. But definitely not something I'd want every day ... or every week ... or even every month. Something like that is meant to be enjoyed occasionally.

try2again

Machka9 wrote: »

But as for "occasional treat" ...

That would be something like the chocolate lava cake I made for my birthday. So incredibly rich and delicious. Probably the richest thing I've ever had in my life. Possibly the most delicious as well. I mean, WOW, it was good. But definitely not something I'd want every day ... or every week ... or even every month. Something like that is meant to be enjoyed occasionally.

Lol... you *really* enjoyed that cake!

JeromeBarry1

For me it's a single piece of Brach's Milk Chocolate Peanut Clusters, which runs about 60 calories. I have the bag hidden in my bedroom upstairs. It has to be real special for me to go up there and get it, then bring it back down and weigh it and log it. So, yeah, very occasional.

livingleanlivingclean

I eat what I like when I like. But that happens to be loads of whole foods, minimally processed, most of the time. Sundays are my high/refeed days when I have carbs to spend more frivolously.... So I do,or I'd burst from overconsumption of vegetables.

estherdragonbat

Yes, you can have sugar within your calorie allowance. Too much will probably impact your feelings of satiety, so you'll find yourself hungry again quickly, but if you're asking, "Can I have a piece of cake for dessert at supper and maybe a couple of squares of chocolate for a snack at some point in the day?" the answer is, 'Yes, you should be fine'. (Assuming no medical issues that require you watch your sugar anyway.)

My diary is open if you want to look. I would say I eat mainly healthy, though not 'clean' (I eat a lot of veggie dogs, some frozen vegetarian entrees, Greek yogurt, etc.) However, every Thursday, when I do my cooking, I make a low-calorie dessert. This week, it's going to be lemon-amaretto apples at about 100 calories per serving.

Saturday after synagogue services, there's a stand-up buffet with kugel, cholent, fruit, veggies, and cakes and pastries. I budget for 2 pieces of kugel and a frosted shortbread cookie. The couple of times when those cookies haven't been there, I've subbed something else, but that's my go-to.

So far, we're typical. I have a low-calorie dessert until it's gone. I have one small full-fat dessert in a week, plus a moderated amount of oily starchy joy.

Okay. Last month, I celebrated a Jewish holiday with one observance that sounds like the inverse of Halloween. Instead of knocking on people's doors to get goodies, we knock on people's doors to GIVE goodies. And people knock on OUR doors. So, for the last couple of weeks, there's been a lot of stuff in the house that we wouldn't normally have. I dealt with it like this:

1. Told my husband, "Don't ask me if I want any of this. If there's something I really want to have, I'll tell you. Otherwise, help yourself." (I only said this about a ready-to-eat tossed salad and a homemade roll.)
2. If I had no way of estimating the calories, say for homemade cookies that might or might not have had chocolate chunks, nuts, etc... went into Hubby's lunch.
3. I allocated some of the calories that would have gone on healthier snacks like string cheese tp mini-chocolate bars, saltwater taffy or piece of fruit leather.

All told, over the last three weeks, about 100-300 calories most days have gone on treats. BUT I have not gone over my calories. No grazing, no mindless nibbling. If I haven't had the calories for what I wanted, I either didn't have it, had less, or exercised more. And most of that stuff is gone now. We're pretty much down to fruit taffy (which I dislike), large-chocolate bars (which I can resist until someone opens one), and jams, teas, and other non-"junk".

As far as family gatherings are concerned, I pre-log what I meant to eat ahead of time. Of course, I don't know everything that's being served, but it's a safe bet that at my nephew's birthday, there will be cake. At a Hannukah party, there will be latkes and jelly donuts. And I have much better control of myself if I've written in my journal that I'm going to have a piece of birthday cake, because I can see for myself that I've got the calories to spend on it. Which means I avert all the guilt and negative self-talk about 'blowing my diet'.

I only have treats within my daily calories. I know some people do well with cheat days or cheat meals. I'm not one of them. For me, recognizing that a treat doesn't need to be a cheat works well for me. Hope that helps!

ccsernica

Lately, I've been having one package of two Justin's Organic Peanut Butter Cups nearly every day. Much better chocolate (and peanut butter) than Reeses, and well worth the 200 calories. Especially when I run and have an extra 800+ to eat.

amusedmonkey

It highly depends. My occasional foods are usually foods that I don't have often, by definition. Some because I just don't think to have them often, others are too high in calories to fit often. How "occasional" works for me varies: it could be something I only have seasonally like condensed milk cookies, something I have every few months like movie popcorn, something I have maybe once every week or two like potato chips and chocolate, or something I go on having every day for a while then falls out of favor for a few weeks/months like cookies or soda then back to daily consumption for a while, and then there are foods that I actively try not to expose myself to in an uncontrolled manner like nuts.

I don't have a set schedule for treats, they just happen when they happen, when I deem them to be worth the calories more than an extra sandwich, for example. As a rule of thumb, I try to eat my base calories in nutrient rich foods, then spend my exercise calories on whatever I feel like having, be it a snack or a bigger portion of a meal I like. Indulgences are the same. They happen at random intervals and are mostly in a social setting, but I do occasionally feel like taking a maintenance day just because. Basically my food intake follows my whims.

I don't track sugar, but I'm sure I get plenty of it every day from fruits and vegetables regardless.

rouhnaz

Awesome feedback! I feel great about fitting Halo top into my daily intake now.

rouhnaz

You guys are great. Thanks for all this feedback.

Machka9

try2again wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

But as for "occasional treat" ...

That would be something like the chocolate lava cake I made for my birthday. So incredibly rich and delicious. Probably the richest thing I've ever had in my life. Possibly the most delicious as well. I mean, WOW, it was good. But definitely not something I'd want every day ... or every week ... or even every month. Something like that is meant to be enjoyed occasionally.

Lol... you *really* enjoyed that cake!

I certainly did.

Christine_72

I'm not sure if this is what you meant, but i have dessert every single night, usually between 250-400 calories.

middlehaitch

An occasional treat is something I would not have on a regular basis before, during, or after weight loss.

It is a food that is too expensive, ie: lobster, or too rich, ie: @Machka9's decadent desert, or too seasonal, ie: asparagus to make it part of my daily weekly or sometimes monthly diet.

Everything else is just food to be eaten as fancy takes me.
Cheers, h.

kommodevaran

This is interesting, and both easy and difficult to answer.

I have a set of simple, flexible, non-restrictive "eating rules":
Eat real food.
Eat regular meals, and only at meals.
Eat when hungry.
And one rule to rule them all: Make exceptions when needed, but not so often that the exceptions start to become rules.

This means that I have a structure to stick to but I also use judgement. This means that I can't go wrong. It means that I'm in charge of my own eating. It means that I can control my weight. I'm in maintenance and I'm not counting calories anymore - but I did that as I was losing. I'm still kinda strict, but I had to be more strict while losing weight.

I eat food I like every day, for every meal, and I eat anything I want, I just need to make room for it. There is no real clear-cut division between everyday food and indulgences - if I want a treat on a Tuesday, I'll have it, if I feel I have room for it. I may look back and see how long ago I had one, and than say "OK" or "not now". I eat sugar for every meal, it's unavoidable and not a problem.

kpkitten

For me an occasional treat is something I have maybe twice a month. Cocktails with a friend; dinner AND dessert eating out. It's the sort of thing that just isn't worth having any more frequently, and I'll "save up" calories a few days beforehand to allow myself to indulge.

But I have things that others might consider treats more regularly. I have a flavoured latte up to 4 times a week, chocolates or ice cream probably the same frequency. I just don't have them if they'll take me over my daily calories or if they'll replace a nutritious meal. If after 2-3meals are logged I have the calories left, I'll have a couple of luxury chocs, or a mini tub (or half a big tub!) of Ben and Jerrys.

I plan to eat the same way in maintenance - eat slightly below maintenance most of the time so that a couple of times a month (or I might up it to once a week) I can have a treat with friends or family.

jennypapage

if i have reached most of my macro goals and i still have calories left, i'll have a treat. It can happen every day for a week, or it can only be once a week.Sometimes it will be weeks without any treats.It all depends on how my protein, fat and carb goals look.Sometimes i'll have the occassional "birthday of a colleague" treat.This one is quite annoying because it had not been anticipated and i have to change my whole plan.But in the end it works out.

snowflake954

A treat is something that you really enjoy eating, but have to make it work to fit it into your calories. Maybe you decide that it's worth it to go over your calorie goal--rarely. It has to be worth it to you. That's an individual call.

prattiger65

I fit in something everyday like cookies, ice cream or some M&M's. Not a lot of it, but some. Then about once a week or so I will get a big dessert or something like donuts or a piece of cake. My son has been home from the Middle East for three weeks where his diet has been not so good food, our family has basically feasted for three weeks. I have probably gained five pounds and I could not care less. He leaves today to go back and I won't see him for a year. Back on the horse tomorrow and it will melt back off at about half a pound per week.

Queenmunchy

rouhnaz wrote: »

Awesome feedback! I feel great about fitting Halo top into my daily intake now.

At around 80 calories per serving, I fit it in almost everyday too!